Video

Dr. McDermott on Novel Immunotherapy Combinations in RCC

David F. McDermott, MD, director of the Biologic Therapy Program at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, discusses novel immunotherapy combinations for patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

David F. McDermott, MD, director of the Biologic Therapy Program at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, discusses novel immunotherapy combinations for patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

According to McDermott, an exciting area of study is the combination of VEGF blockade and PD-1/PD-L1 blockade. There are 5 or 6 large randomized trials looking at various combinations, explains McDermott. The early data from phase I trials show that there are high response rates and longer progression-free survival (PFS) than expected with either strategy alone.

As we get into 2018 and 2019, we will start seeing the results of these randomized trials, says McDermott. If they are positive, there could be the fusion of the 2 effective strategies for kidney cancer in the first-line setting. Perhaps there will be 5 or 6 versions of combinations, which will be the next big thing for metastatic patients.

Several such combinations are under investigation, with the most data available so far being from a phase Ib study of axitinib (Inlyta) plus pembrolizumab (Keytruda). The results of this study were for 52 patients with advanced RCC who received frontline treatment with axitinib plus pembrolizumab. The overall response rate was 67.3% (35 patients), including 2 complete responses and 33 partial responses. The researchers also reported that the combination was well tolerated.

Newsletter

Stay up to date on the most recent and practice-changing oncology data

Latest CME

View All
Medical Crossfire®: Expert Perspectives on Targeting c-Met Overexpression and 𝘔𝘌𝘛 Genomic Alterations in NSCLC – Unveiling the Complexities of 𝘔𝘌𝘛 Dysregulation
Video

Medical Crossfire®: Expert Perspectives on Targeting c-Met Overexpression and 𝘔𝘌𝘛 Genomic Alterations in NSCLC – Unveiling the Complexities of 𝘔𝘌𝘛 Dysregulation

Jun 6th 2025 - Jul 12th 2025

online-activity
Tumor Board: Expert Insights on Managing Classical 𝘌𝘎𝘍𝘙 Mutations, 𝘌𝘎𝘍𝘙 Exon 20 Insertions, and Atypical 𝘌𝘎𝘍𝘙 Mutations in Metastatic NSCLC
Video

Tumor Board: Expert Insights on Managing Classical 𝘌𝘎𝘍𝘙 Mutations, 𝘌𝘎𝘍𝘙 Exon 20 Insertions, and Atypical 𝘌𝘎𝘍𝘙 Mutations in Metastatic NSCLC

Jun 6th 2025 - Jul 12th 2025

online-activity
Evolving Treatment Strategies in Pancreatic Cancer: Current Standards, Emerging Targets, and the Role of Molecular Testing
Video

Evolving Treatment Strategies in Pancreatic Cancer: Current Standards, Emerging Targets, and the Role of Molecular Testing

Jun 5th 2025 - Jul 12th 2025

online-activity